House File 2276 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2276 BY FISHER A BILL FOR An Act relating to the financial responsibilities of a parent, 1 or an individual who has a parent-child relationship with 2 a child, whose parental rights are terminated in whole or 3 in part for committing domestic abuse, or assault against a 4 family member. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 6018YH (4) 91 dg/ko

H.F. 2276 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 232.121 Attorney fees —— court 1 costs —— child support. 2 If a court terminates the parental rights of a parent in 3 whole or in part because the parent was found to have engaged 4 in domestic abuse as defined in section 236.2, or was convicted 5 of assault as defined in section 708.1 against a family member, 6 the court shall order the parent whose parental rights were 7 terminated to pay court costs related to the termination, and 8 reasonable attorney fees the child’s other parent incurred due 9 to the termination of parental rights proceedings. 10 Sec. 2. Section 252A.3, Code 2026, is amended by adding the 11 following new subsection: 12 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. An individual is liable for the support 13 of a child if all of the following apply: 14 a. The individual had a parent-child relationship with the 15 child. 16 b. A court entered a support order requiring the individual 17 to pay for the support of the child, and the support order has 18 not terminated. 19 c. The child is under eighteen years of age. 20 d. After being ordered to pay for the child’s support, 21 the individual’s parental rights to the child were terminated 22 in whole or in part because the individual was found to have 23 engaged in domestic abuse as defined in section 236.2, or was 24 convicted of assault as defined in section 708.1 against a 25 family member. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 This bill relates to the financial responsibilities of a 30 parent, or an individual who has a parent-child relationship 31 with a child, whose parental rights are terminated in whole or 32 in part for engaging in domestic abuse, or being convicted of 33 an assault against a family member. 34 If a parent’s parental rights are terminated for a child 35 -1- LSB 6018YH (4) 91 dg/ko 1/ 2

H.F. 2276 in whole or in part because the parent committed domestic 1 abuse, or assault against a family member, the bill requires 2 the parent to pay for court costs related to the termination 3 of parental rights and reasonable attorney fees the child’s 4 other parent incurred due to the termination of parental rights 5 proceedings. 6 The bill makes an individual liable for the support of a 7 child if the individual had a parent-child relationship with a 8 child; a court entered a support order requiring the individual 9 to pay for the support of the child, and the support order has 10 not terminated; the child is under 18 years of age; and after 11 being ordered to pay for the child’s support, the individual’s 12 parental rights to the child were terminated in whole or in 13 part because the individual was found to have engaged in 14 domestic abuse, or was convicted of assault against a family 15 member. 16 -2- LSB 6018YH (4) 91 dg/ko 2/ 2